[The film tracks the human history of the Grand Canyon utilizing one narrator; human dialogue is absent. Students will create their own original tableauxs utilizing specific words and phrases already embedded in the text in order to practice timing and word choice (this is preparation for commercial work where timing and word choice become quintessential). The fact that "Grand Canyon: The Hidden Secrets" is a non-fiction text makes it more likely that students will be able to create convincing, vivid presentations because they are working from a real script.]
Age group: This course is designed for 7th and 8th grade students, and may be modified to meet the needs of gifted and talented and special ed students.
Goal: to invite students to focus on imagery, historical fact and spiritual questions utilizing dramatic exploration to synthesize their understanding of these three elements. Students will come up with a new image, or tableau and text that illuminate some aspect of the history, spiritual questioning or image. Excellent tableaux will include all three of these elements.
This lesson will serve as a building block for future lessons. During the extension activities, students will learn how to respond in writing to the text at emotional/personal level, and then they will take this ‘insider’ knowledge and apply what they have learned to producing their own commercial spot. Students will have learned a lot about the setting for their commercial and will turn their attention to selling a product utilizing their
original tableau to set the stage for future action.
Students will write creative non-fictions scripts designed to trigger a “buying response”. They will perform their tableaux before a commercial and will view them as commercial
spots.
Objective: Students will learn to “feel an author's intention” at an emotional level by acting out the words and phrases the writer uses to craft his/her non-fiction screenplay. This method is designed prepare students to write their own original work regardless of the medium.
Students will write creative non-fiction work inspired by “Grand Canyon: The Hidden Secrets” and the related theater and in class discussions held in class. Students may choose to write from a specific character’s perspective, from an image they were given in their small groups or they may
choose to reflect on the physical grandeur of the Grand Canyon itself by referencing spiritual texts
we have already read in class (like the Tao of Pooh for example).
After creating their individual non-fiction piece; they will go back into their groups and create a short script, between 20 and 150 words in length and will produce a 10 to 60 second spot. Students will have the choice whether or not they would like to have their piece filmed.
The focus of all three activities is freeing the students’ mind up to the creative process by exposing them to the words as they appear on the page, pictoral images and scenes brought to life by their peers.
The main lesson is designed to teach students how to develop their own style of writing utilizing text, image and tableaux to provide inspiration and structure for their work. Students will study an "historical script" with strong emotional undertones. In this case, script the class will use "Grand Canyon: The Hidden Secrets". The script is non-fiction. It is loaded with imagery, historical fact, questions about nature and man's desire to conquer and explore.
February 21, 2009
Poetry Review written for Elizabeth McKim's Poetry Course
Craig graduated from Bates in 2001, and went on to earn an M.F.A. degree at Columbia University. To date, he is a poet, critic and freelance writer. His first book of poems, Brenda is in the Room and other Poems, was chosen by Paul Hoover as winner of the 2007 Colorado Prize for Poetry. Brenda is his wife, and the actual poem Brenda is in the Room explores co-habitation. Craig wrote the poem before they were married and had hoped that the “points” he gained for placing her name on the cover of the book would never expire; however, he implied with comic ease that this clearly has not been the case. One thing to note about the cover poem is that it explores the thresholds that the couple will cross, while explaining the process of organizing and writing the poem itself. The poem celebrates its own form, context and meaning in a way that leads the reader through step by step, line by line. Teicher writes about the time and space that he shares with his wife and the spaces between words he hopes she will understand. He also organizes the space to suit his own writing routine and includes this “marriage to the craft” as a part of the poem. “Marriage is a union,” Teicher explains, but there is an inherent separateness to it as well. The couple may cross the same thresholds and explore the same five rooms in new and different ways each time.
The first poem that Teicher read at the reading drew people in. He spoke about how it had been eight years since President Bush had been sworn in. How interesting, he thought, that it was election time again and he was back. Craig’s political views were strong and clear. He identified soldiers as the sons of mothers who believe that “ultimately justice directs them.” In this multi-sectioned poem, Craig captured the compartmentalized nature of modern life. Craig read a range of poems, including two I am poems. I loved the one where he described himself as having a fiery red beard and women’s eyes. This poem was the last poem he read and he joked how it was all about him and the title was “Narcisiss”. During the reading Craig reflected back to his times at Bates and remembered the Lounge because it had been a place where his comedy troupe practiced.
At Bates, Craig always used to write about nature, mythic creatures, while taking on the voice of an active, some-what humorous story teller. Even when delivering somber messages, this was his strength. Listening to Craig at Bates read his poem entitled “The Virtues of Birds” I listened again and found that the attention to detail and clever personifications that once appeared in his work had deepened. In his bird poem that he wrote at a nature poetry retreat, at first the two birds attempted to be polite, as they tried to decide which one of them should have the piece of bread that lay on the ground between them. By the middle of the poem, people laughed at the twists and turns the poem took us all on. The birds became distrustful and fearful one moment, then generous the next. A conversation that began as a simple “You take it first, no you” and so on ran on and on, until eventually the birds ran out of day light and the darkness began to set in and the creatures of the night surrounded them.
In all of his poems, the animals take on human qualities. Craig opens his heart to nature and his own hopes and fears without hiding behind excessive words, or being self-indulgent. As an adult poet, Craig is not afraid to claim and own his voice as the authority, and candidly examines the world with emotional candor and honesty. Craig’s style is varied; but frequently he relies on creation stories, fables, town meeting forum like structure and fairy tales to create the frame work to drive the message of his poem home. A prime example of this shone through when he read his poem about the cows. The story examined human fear and how quickly we as human beings turn toward violence to solve unanswerable questions. The story described how all of the people in this simple village grew distressed because their cows all begin to moo for days on end and wouldn’t stop. Finally, the Mayor decided that the towns’ people ought to kill the cows. What more could be done? Reluctantly, the men agreed to march to meet the cows in the fields-all the while feeling uncertain as to whether this is the right decision or not. Then, when they reached the cows, something amazing happened: the farmer’s daughter reached her hand out and touched one of the cows. The cows stopped mooing; but then, just as the villagers were ready to go home…all of the pigs in the village begin making noise. Again, the farmer’s daughter was called to come to their assistance. The men thanked her; the farmer’s daughter knew that she would never be free because she would always be with the cows, the pigs and the sheep. This piece resonated with me because I was struck by how many people’s hearts he had been able to touch with this simple tale. People were silent, in admiration of this piece.
Really, there is so much more to say. Craig is clever, humorous and creative with his imaginative, mythic lyrics. I laughed, I sighed and snorted out loud listening to his work. Craig’s poetry grants people permission to explore the depths of the human soul and challenges us to participate more in the activities going on around us.
Formally, Craig Teicher is a widely published reviewer of poetry and fiction (in Boston Review, Book forum and elsewhere). He is also a contributing editor of Pleiades, and works at Publishers Weekly. Teicher lives in Brooklyn, NY with his wife and son and plays drums in the band The Fourelles.
The first poem that Teicher read at the reading drew people in. He spoke about how it had been eight years since President Bush had been sworn in. How interesting, he thought, that it was election time again and he was back. Craig’s political views were strong and clear. He identified soldiers as the sons of mothers who believe that “ultimately justice directs them.” In this multi-sectioned poem, Craig captured the compartmentalized nature of modern life. Craig read a range of poems, including two I am poems. I loved the one where he described himself as having a fiery red beard and women’s eyes. This poem was the last poem he read and he joked how it was all about him and the title was “Narcisiss”. During the reading Craig reflected back to his times at Bates and remembered the Lounge because it had been a place where his comedy troupe practiced.
At Bates, Craig always used to write about nature, mythic creatures, while taking on the voice of an active, some-what humorous story teller. Even when delivering somber messages, this was his strength. Listening to Craig at Bates read his poem entitled “The Virtues of Birds” I listened again and found that the attention to detail and clever personifications that once appeared in his work had deepened. In his bird poem that he wrote at a nature poetry retreat, at first the two birds attempted to be polite, as they tried to decide which one of them should have the piece of bread that lay on the ground between them. By the middle of the poem, people laughed at the twists and turns the poem took us all on. The birds became distrustful and fearful one moment, then generous the next. A conversation that began as a simple “You take it first, no you” and so on ran on and on, until eventually the birds ran out of day light and the darkness began to set in and the creatures of the night surrounded them.
In all of his poems, the animals take on human qualities. Craig opens his heart to nature and his own hopes and fears without hiding behind excessive words, or being self-indulgent. As an adult poet, Craig is not afraid to claim and own his voice as the authority, and candidly examines the world with emotional candor and honesty. Craig’s style is varied; but frequently he relies on creation stories, fables, town meeting forum like structure and fairy tales to create the frame work to drive the message of his poem home. A prime example of this shone through when he read his poem about the cows. The story examined human fear and how quickly we as human beings turn toward violence to solve unanswerable questions. The story described how all of the people in this simple village grew distressed because their cows all begin to moo for days on end and wouldn’t stop. Finally, the Mayor decided that the towns’ people ought to kill the cows. What more could be done? Reluctantly, the men agreed to march to meet the cows in the fields-all the while feeling uncertain as to whether this is the right decision or not. Then, when they reached the cows, something amazing happened: the farmer’s daughter reached her hand out and touched one of the cows. The cows stopped mooing; but then, just as the villagers were ready to go home…all of the pigs in the village begin making noise. Again, the farmer’s daughter was called to come to their assistance. The men thanked her; the farmer’s daughter knew that she would never be free because she would always be with the cows, the pigs and the sheep. This piece resonated with me because I was struck by how many people’s hearts he had been able to touch with this simple tale. People were silent, in admiration of this piece.
Really, there is so much more to say. Craig is clever, humorous and creative with his imaginative, mythic lyrics. I laughed, I sighed and snorted out loud listening to his work. Craig’s poetry grants people permission to explore the depths of the human soul and challenges us to participate more in the activities going on around us.
Formally, Craig Teicher is a widely published reviewer of poetry and fiction (in Boston Review, Book forum and elsewhere). He is also a contributing editor of Pleiades, and works at Publishers Weekly. Teicher lives in Brooklyn, NY with his wife and son and plays drums in the band The Fourelles.
August 5, 2008
April 18, 2008
Dance and Kinesthetic Movement
April 12, 2008
During each class session at Lesley, we learn how to best provide our students with the transformative tools they need grow as human beings. We do this by engaging in the teaching of the creative arts. Each month, we take time away from our work to engage in collaborative projects, group discussions and presentations that all serve to challenge us to become change agents in our schools and local communities. As a group, we all enter into the generative process and begin to imagine the kinds of discoveries that our students will experience when we assign them lessons. Our program is the Integrated Arts Program and we are currently finishing a course entitled Dance and Kinesthetic Movement taught by Doug Victor, a Lesley University professor who spent time studying with Barbara Mettler.
In class, we are encouraged to move in “new and different ways” and to learn to slow ourselves down to capture the movements that flow from our hearts, memories and from the images that we perceive around us. We explore ways to engage the mind by stimulating parts of the body and speak about the importance of dance in schools. Public education these days does an excellent job teaching children from the top up. In class, several of the teachers noted that this was the case. These teachers all agreed that the teaching of movement in the classroom should not be limited to the early grades. Why one might ask, when in our society the ‘heady’ jobs seem to be the well respected jobs. The way things are going now, those individuals who study and remain on the “path” so to speak might as well all become professors. God help us all meeting up with a crew like that on the dance floor. Well, perhaps that isn’t fair. Of course many people who hold the 'heady' jobs can dance. My point being that any time we place expectations on our children we should tread lightly. Every child moves through their developmental stages at slightly different rates, and it is up to the educator to stay on his or her toes and accommodate the student in a safe and responsible manner. Dance is an excellent tool for teachers to use to help establish group trust and help build student confidence in the classroom. Dance can be cathartic because as human beings, when we hold on to old memories and emotions for too long, these feelings can actually manifest themselves into physical maladies. When a dancer moves to the music, he or she is activating the unconscious dream mind and when the movement takes place creating new muscles memory and corresponding emotions. In class, Victor mentioned how someone had once told him that when dealing with depressed individuals the best thing to tell them to do is to listen for the up beat in the music to experience positive change.
So why then, in so many (not all) of our schools do we continue to stress product over process and place the emphasis on exemplary performance. Could it be that those in charge of making the decisions about the ways in which children should spend their time while at school are actually asleep to the children’s’ dreams and only pay attention to their own. To rule dance as a “normal” part of P.E. or as a subject would benefit both parties. Dance is a method of self-expression that manifests itself in an outward manner, stimulating the body, mind and imagination of the dancers and the audience. This allows for the audience to become a part of the transformative process, if they so choose, as they watch and listen carefully to the music and the moves. Dance is a bearer of freedom because it binds the creative, sculptural elements of life together and encourages dancers to express their inner most thoughts (often symbolic in nature) through the movements that their bodies make. Why teach that such a transformative, powerful subject matter should be kept outside of academia? The term “assessment” is used frequently and is a necessary way for teachers to measure the quality of their students work. Could it be that for some instructors, dance is viewed as too subjective to be graded. When dance Professor Victor entered into our classroom, we arranged our chairs in a circle and he told us that the origin of the word assessment actually means “to sit beside.” We began to think about what it actually meant to sit beside one another and were introduced to the term Kino- sphere, a term used to describe an invisible area around each individual (like a personal space bubble) and opened our minds to the prospect of introducing dance into our classrooms in “new and different ways”. Victor encouraged us throughout the course to leave our seats in “new and different ways” when moving from one area of the room to another, so that by the end of the course we grew to enjoy this experience and this became a part of our collective class culture.
So now, as we return to teaching, it is imperative that we work together to restore the soul of our communities and classrooms and begin to invest in developing a new kind of environment for our kids, a creative classroom culture. Creative dance and movement provides the dancer with an avenue to bring forth parts of their spiritual self instinctively, as the movement of the piece is shared with an audience. There is something magical that occurs when the dancer no longer has to sort through all of the steps and any weeds have been extracted from the merging of music and movement, until what is truly left is an authentic piece. This is when it is possible for the outward expression of the dance to serve as an active, transformative agent for both the dancer and the audience.
During each class session at Lesley, we learn how to best provide our students with the transformative tools they need grow as human beings. We do this by engaging in the teaching of the creative arts. Each month, we take time away from our work to engage in collaborative projects, group discussions and presentations that all serve to challenge us to become change agents in our schools and local communities. As a group, we all enter into the generative process and begin to imagine the kinds of discoveries that our students will experience when we assign them lessons. Our program is the Integrated Arts Program and we are currently finishing a course entitled Dance and Kinesthetic Movement taught by Doug Victor, a Lesley University professor who spent time studying with Barbara Mettler.
In class, we are encouraged to move in “new and different ways” and to learn to slow ourselves down to capture the movements that flow from our hearts, memories and from the images that we perceive around us. We explore ways to engage the mind by stimulating parts of the body and speak about the importance of dance in schools. Public education these days does an excellent job teaching children from the top up. In class, several of the teachers noted that this was the case. These teachers all agreed that the teaching of movement in the classroom should not be limited to the early grades. Why one might ask, when in our society the ‘heady’ jobs seem to be the well respected jobs. The way things are going now, those individuals who study and remain on the “path” so to speak might as well all become professors. God help us all meeting up with a crew like that on the dance floor. Well, perhaps that isn’t fair. Of course many people who hold the 'heady' jobs can dance. My point being that any time we place expectations on our children we should tread lightly. Every child moves through their developmental stages at slightly different rates, and it is up to the educator to stay on his or her toes and accommodate the student in a safe and responsible manner. Dance is an excellent tool for teachers to use to help establish group trust and help build student confidence in the classroom. Dance can be cathartic because as human beings, when we hold on to old memories and emotions for too long, these feelings can actually manifest themselves into physical maladies. When a dancer moves to the music, he or she is activating the unconscious dream mind and when the movement takes place creating new muscles memory and corresponding emotions. In class, Victor mentioned how someone had once told him that when dealing with depressed individuals the best thing to tell them to do is to listen for the up beat in the music to experience positive change.
So why then, in so many (not all) of our schools do we continue to stress product over process and place the emphasis on exemplary performance. Could it be that those in charge of making the decisions about the ways in which children should spend their time while at school are actually asleep to the children’s’ dreams and only pay attention to their own. To rule dance as a “normal” part of P.E. or as a subject would benefit both parties. Dance is a method of self-expression that manifests itself in an outward manner, stimulating the body, mind and imagination of the dancers and the audience. This allows for the audience to become a part of the transformative process, if they so choose, as they watch and listen carefully to the music and the moves. Dance is a bearer of freedom because it binds the creative, sculptural elements of life together and encourages dancers to express their inner most thoughts (often symbolic in nature) through the movements that their bodies make. Why teach that such a transformative, powerful subject matter should be kept outside of academia? The term “assessment” is used frequently and is a necessary way for teachers to measure the quality of their students work. Could it be that for some instructors, dance is viewed as too subjective to be graded. When dance Professor Victor entered into our classroom, we arranged our chairs in a circle and he told us that the origin of the word assessment actually means “to sit beside.” We began to think about what it actually meant to sit beside one another and were introduced to the term Kino- sphere, a term used to describe an invisible area around each individual (like a personal space bubble) and opened our minds to the prospect of introducing dance into our classrooms in “new and different ways”. Victor encouraged us throughout the course to leave our seats in “new and different ways” when moving from one area of the room to another, so that by the end of the course we grew to enjoy this experience and this became a part of our collective class culture.
So now, as we return to teaching, it is imperative that we work together to restore the soul of our communities and classrooms and begin to invest in developing a new kind of environment for our kids, a creative classroom culture. Creative dance and movement provides the dancer with an avenue to bring forth parts of their spiritual self instinctively, as the movement of the piece is shared with an audience. There is something magical that occurs when the dancer no longer has to sort through all of the steps and any weeds have been extracted from the merging of music and movement, until what is truly left is an authentic piece. This is when it is possible for the outward expression of the dance to serve as an active, transformative agent for both the dancer and the audience.
March 6, 2008
Wiz-ardry School for Kids during Winter Recess
Amy Grant, Director and Owner of Peninsula Metamorphic reported an enthusiastic turn out
Blue Hill-Peninsula Metamorphic Arts and Learning theater group held its first school vacation week program at The Bay School’s Emlen Hall. The third to eighth grade students who chose to attend the week long camp entered into a magical world where they learned that dragons answer to riddles and that in order to survive in their new environment.
The game: to solve the mystery created by the ‘Headmistress” on the second day, while attending classes designed to stretch the imagination. Students learn to answer riddles written to help them ‘find Nelly’ the missing dragon. On the very first day students were introduced to ‘the rules’ of the road. Due to the program’s flexible nature, Grant noted that “the children’s ideas were allowed space to push the drama forward and improv was used throughout the week. Each day they studied a new culture.” During a time called ‘The History of Magic’, students learned about the history of the Greeks, Romans, the British Isles, China and Egypt, as well as the mythology and folklore encompassing these regions.
Throughout the week, teachers and participatory members from the community were assigned characters and duties. These folks came dressed in costume and provided students with clues and information designed to push the mystery forward. Some came to be drawn by students during art time. The art teacher enjoyed teaching the kids to experiment with clay, acrylic, water color and even Chinese brush painting, while the Chemistry teacher demonstrated just how much fun it can be to make a brilliant snake egg and troll tear potions…or did he? Actually, report has it that the experiment went terribly wrong and the whole thing exploded! In any event, at the end of the week the children were able to locate ‘Nelly’. She was found hanging out in the Coliseum in Rome. The question being: how long did it take for her to get there?
Director and owner Amy Grant and Penny Ricker began planning the school vacation event back in July; both women wanted to leave room for improv and surprise as the week evolved. The goal: to integrate work and play into the fabric of each lesson, while teaching the children about world geography, chemistry, art and literature. The Wiz-ardy event hosted at The Bay School’s Emlen Hall drew in students from all around the peninsula. The students who attended the week long camp entered into a magical world, a world created by Grant and a group of three teachers and two counselors design to encourage them to truly enjoy the process of learning. “Mastery wasn’t the goal, Grant expressed the goal was fun”.
When asked Grant stated that all of the characters involved in her recent camp were originals; however, she admitted that the world that they created could be one where Harry Potter could enter in at any minute as it was a magical world. The costumes designed by Melissa Rioux (one of the event organizers and teachers) added to this atmosphere and the well-constructed set and props provided a sense of place and depth for the characters to draw from as students enjoyed all the resources made available to them throughout the day.
At the end of each day, students enjoyed time to work on the group Newspaper, Yearbook or Show Choir. On the last day, the group held an open house for the public. The choir performed and the children gathered their mystical materials to take home. Wondering now what’s next for Peninsula Metamorphic Arts and Learning. Contact Amy Grant at (207) 479-6382 or go to her webpage http://penninsulametamorphic.
Amy Grant, Director and Owner of Peninsula Metamorphic reported an enthusiastic turn out
Blue Hill-Peninsula Metamorphic Arts and Learning theater group held its first school vacation week program at The Bay School’s Emlen Hall. The third to eighth grade students who chose to attend the week long camp entered into a magical world where they learned that dragons answer to riddles and that in order to survive in their new environment.
The game: to solve the mystery created by the ‘Headmistress” on the second day, while attending classes designed to stretch the imagination. Students learn to answer riddles written to help them ‘find Nelly’ the missing dragon. On the very first day students were introduced to ‘the rules’ of the road. Due to the program’s flexible nature, Grant noted that “the children’s ideas were allowed space to push the drama forward and improv was used throughout the week. Each day they studied a new culture.” During a time called ‘The History of Magic’, students learned about the history of the Greeks, Romans, the British Isles, China and Egypt, as well as the mythology and folklore encompassing these regions.
Throughout the week, teachers and participatory members from the community were assigned characters and duties. These folks came dressed in costume and provided students with clues and information designed to push the mystery forward. Some came to be drawn by students during art time. The art teacher enjoyed teaching the kids to experiment with clay, acrylic, water color and even Chinese brush painting, while the Chemistry teacher demonstrated just how much fun it can be to make a brilliant snake egg and troll tear potions…or did he? Actually, report has it that the experiment went terribly wrong and the whole thing exploded! In any event, at the end of the week the children were able to locate ‘Nelly’. She was found hanging out in the Coliseum in Rome. The question being: how long did it take for her to get there?
Director and owner Amy Grant and Penny Ricker began planning the school vacation event back in July; both women wanted to leave room for improv and surprise as the week evolved. The goal: to integrate work and play into the fabric of each lesson, while teaching the children about world geography, chemistry, art and literature. The Wiz-ardy event hosted at The Bay School’s Emlen Hall drew in students from all around the peninsula. The students who attended the week long camp entered into a magical world, a world created by Grant and a group of three teachers and two counselors design to encourage them to truly enjoy the process of learning. “Mastery wasn’t the goal, Grant expressed the goal was fun”.
When asked Grant stated that all of the characters involved in her recent camp were originals; however, she admitted that the world that they created could be one where Harry Potter could enter in at any minute as it was a magical world. The costumes designed by Melissa Rioux (one of the event organizers and teachers) added to this atmosphere and the well-constructed set and props provided a sense of place and depth for the characters to draw from as students enjoyed all the resources made available to them throughout the day.
At the end of each day, students enjoyed time to work on the group Newspaper, Yearbook or Show Choir. On the last day, the group held an open house for the public. The choir performed and the children gathered their mystical materials to take home. Wondering now what’s next for Peninsula Metamorphic Arts and Learning. Contact Amy Grant at (207) 479-6382 or go to her webpage http://penninsulametamorphic.
February 23, 2008
The Castine Democratic Caucus
The Castine Democratic Caucus
(A Paper Written for Technology Class to Evaluate my Power Point Presentation shown at the Caucus)
Abstract
The Castine Democratic Caucus was held at the Castine Town Hall on February 10th. All registered Democrats and interested community members who were not registered with the Republican Party were encouraged to come and cast their vote for their preferred presidential candidate, as well as to elect local and county Municipal officers. The Power Point's aim was to clarify any lingering questions that people had in a clear, succinct fashion regarding the course of events on the agenda, as well as to entertain and inform the public. The presentation displayed images of the candidates who were still in the running, described how delegates would be selected from our town to attend the state convention and how many would proceed on to The National Convention.
The Power Point’s background colors were simple blues, reds and blacks. The accompanying music was a mixture between jazz and rock. The introductory slide was the only slide that was set to a picture back ground; the others were color back grounds or backgrounds from the layout section. The picture used was taken one summer in the Castine harbor and the words that projected onto the wall read ‘The Castine Democratic Caucus 2008’. Jazz music was added to this slide to spruce it up a bit and it looped on to the next slide after about one minute. My intention when adding the music was to create a participatory and spirited atmosphere. This worked well at first, when people were just beginning to trickle in; but eventually the room became much too crowded and the music actually became interference, so it was muted as everyone squeezed into the room. For those interested in learning more about the Democratic Party and the proceedings, the presentation's summation slide showed several websites (including Hanncock County Dems) for people to look up on their own time.
The rehearsal function was used to plan out how long each slide would run for. This freed me up to help out with other aspects of the event. After all, the posters that we had designed when advertising the event placed emphasis upon the fact that this would be a time for people to share their views in an open atmosphere. There’s nothing like it, we would say to people when they would ask what the Caucus would be like. Participating in our old New England style direct democracy where everyone is encouraged to speak their minds before the voting would be an experience not to be missed. Voters were asked to literally stand in their favorite candidate’s corner, a practice that has its roots here in New England and in Europe, as well.
All and all we had close to one hundred and fifty people in our meeting hall. Forty-seven percent of all of the registered Democrats in our small town showed. Many of the voters who were not in town sent in absentee ballots. Our Caucus was the sixth largest in the County after places like Bar Harbor and Ellsworth. Not bad for a small town with only three hundred and eight registered Democrats. People present were all buzzing with excitement and many of them brought food and drinks to share. People spoke with one another in an animated fashion, occasionally looking over at the wall; but all clearly amazed by the sheer number of people who turned out. The State reported record numbers in townships everywhere. The question circulating around seemed to be: why did so many people turn out for Presidential hopeful Senator Barack Obama, a Senator who harkens from Illinois; but lived for a spell in Indonesia and also in Hawaii. Could it be his reverie for the history of our country and the inclusivity of his attitude toward the people of all ethnicities, or perhaps his willingness to cross party lines to seek solutions to a host of problems that have been brewing over the past eight years? Or would Hillary Clinton regain momentum and become the first woman president?
When the time came to get started, our Caucus Convener, Gunilla Kettis began with the proceedings. We voted for our officers and eventually, people stood for their desired Presidential candidate. The results were tallied: the outcome was 2:1 for Barack Obama. So this brings me back to this question, what brought so many people out of their homes on this snowy afternoon to literally stand for Obama? Obama in his second book, “The Audacity of Hope” recognizes New England’s history for governing using direct democracy; but describes also just how unmanageable this method would be at a national level. He examines history for answers and seeks new solutions to age old problems. Obama willingly reminds us all that we have a right to stand for our basic liberties: the pursuit of happiness, a consistent government, predictability, coherence and fairness. These things are all part of the American way; he makes a point of declaring. We ought to be testing and retesting our government with ideas, policies and visions that promise to shape America, he stated in a speech to the people in Bangor Maine. Obama is a candidate who prides himself on leading not by polls; but by principles and is skilled at eloquently reminding us of the words of our former leaders. In fact, Obama began his campaign in Springfield Illinois, the same place where President Lincoln declared that he would be running for President of the United States. Since then, Obama and his grassroots campaign has grown and his message is clear: lobbyists and big businesses are simply not welcome, as he moves state to state, diner to diner answering people’s questions. One has to wonder what dinner at the White House will be like for Obama when and if he is elected President (for he has spent so many years reaching out to citizens in the community through his grassroots organizing). Will he continue to pop in unexpectedly at the local Mom and Pop shops located across our fine county? Who knows; but what one thing is certain: his natural desire to promote change in this country has already touched thousands of Americans lives. When Obama speaks, he has a spark in his eye any time he mentions JFK and I fervently believe that he will be a candidate who holds fast to his promise to bring about change in education. He wishes to offer college students scholarship money; however, in return he will be asking them to commit to community service. In the sphere of foreign relations he takes the stance that we should be open to negotiate with all countries and not isolate our enemies. China is our competitor for sure; but not our enemy. If Einstein were alive today, I have a feeling that Obama would have his vote for it was Einstein who believed in the friendly universe theory. He stated once ‘how do we see the world…if we see the world and the people in it as potential adversaries we create more of them’. Unfortunately, this is where we are now (we have many new adversaries world wide). Obama speaks of cleaning up some of the mess that has been made by the current Bush administration. Without going into too many specific details, these are just a few of the many reasons that I decided to focus in on the election at this time. I believe that we are at a pivotal time in American history and that Obama is not a ‘hope monger’ as some have said; but rather he is a man who is ready to emerge and lead our country toward a more responsible and sustainable future. Obama is a living example of a man who due to his remarkable abilities has risen to gain national attention. Perhaps Lincoln would be proud for it was he who believed in “the ability of free labor to advance life.”
There was plenty to discuss and several things happened at the meeting that I will quickly note here. I was elected at the Caucus to be the town Treasurer, and volunteered to be one of the Delegates who will travel to Augusta to represent Senator Barack Obama. The people at the Caucus seemed to view my Power Point with interest; however, I now wish that I had asked a few of them to fill out the evaluation form that I created for the course. The Caucus Convener was pleased with the pictures that I was able to copy from The Maine Democratic website.
The most difficult obstacle I faced actually was not a solvable one. When I first envisioned the project, the slide show was just the beginning. Gunilla and I discussed connecting our computers to Senator Clinton and Senator Barack’s websites and playing Utube videos from these sites. I really wanted to capture the ‘Yes We Can’ song; however, when I found out though that the only way that I would be able to get it would be to burn it to a CD using Lime wire I gave up on this fun thought. The problem that we had with playing Utube videos from the Town Hall was simple: the Town Hall was not connected to the internet.
The other thing that we had planned to do when we met; but didn’t end up doing (due to the fact that so many people showed) was show a video generated from Tom Allen’s office in Portland advertising his candidacy for Senate. This was just as well because the room was so crowded we had to move the projector. We were able to conduct the important aspects of the meeting though, and Gunilla reported that we completed everything in just fifty minutes. This of course was not including the forty five minutes that it took to register people she mentioned in a thank you email to all those who helped out with the event. We were lucky though. Apparently, in many townships, people had to change venues to accommodate the crowds. Luckily, ours was a friendly bunch. We all just squished together and then when the time came, we split to make our stand. Barack won; 2:1!
December 23, 2007
Poetry and Wind Song
If we as educators fail to support our youth’s cultural capital and creative performances in the arts, we risk losing a generation of students to the standardization of today’s curriculum. I believe as educators, we have a responsibility to create a place within our schools where individuals and their ideas and ideals can flourish, and that by blending arts and integration and multiple intelligence theory, we are hopeful that our students will become life long learners. “The feeling that one belongs within the human circle, as the Native Americans say, should not be seen as privilege for a few” (Lake, p. 4). Learning and knowing must become a kind of adventure; one so authentic that students are able to develop their body, mind and soul both in and out of the classroom setting. The classroom should be child-centered, and according to Dewey, the teacher ought to “accept the child where the child is” and work from there (Wink, p. 106). Educators need strategies to move integrated arts back into the fore front of the curriculum. These value systems that both teacher, and students support reconnect them to the community at large.
This all sounds very utopian; however, today’s public school systems offer quite a different scenario for their students. No Child Left Behind mandates standardized testing and teachers in many cases are caught teaching to these tests to maintain high test scores, rather than developing their own in depth curriculum for their students, or utilizing Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligence theory to facilitate higher learning. Classrooms on the whole do not value cultural capital, so individuals who come from diverse backgrounds may feel as though they do not have an acceptable way to express themselves at school. In a democratic school, students need time to name their subject matter, to reflect thoughtfully about what they learn about a subject, and most importantly, need more time to critically act based on this new knowledge (Wink, 123)
In schools today, a certain tension exists between this sense of creating a community of learners and creating a sense of individuality within the structure of a school day. How is it possible to find the time to allow student’s thoughts to roam free when standardized testing takes up so much class time? In some cases this testing is becoming the basis for classroom learning. The trick is for educators today to rise up and challenge the system by creating a place for art within their curriculum. These courageous teachers are the ones who will gain the most access to the creative minds of their students. These are the teachers who open minded and often refer to Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligence theory for guidance as they develop their lesson plans. Gardner understood that intelligence is more than ‘the capacity to acquire new knowledge’. He defines it as “the ability to solve problems that one encounters in real life and the ability to make something or offer a service that is valued within one’s culture” (Silver, Strong + Perini, p.7). These teachers aren’t afraid to experiment with lessons plans that are developed to teach utilizing the eight different intelligences: linguistic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalist, musical, logical, visual/spatial and body kinesthetic in their classrooms. They represent role models for educators in the future. After all, what is truly worth knowing is the information that each student is able to take away from a class and apply later on in his or her own life. What better way to convey information than to teach children early on how to identify with and learn, utilizing all eight intelligences? This type of education is described as being:
“the medicine which takes hold. It is the whole set of changes produced in a person by learning. The difference between an educated person and an uneducated one is he knows how little knowledge is connected to every other piece. The world needs freedom, and the only way we can get it is through education. The ideas of the spirit of humanism are carried not in pamphlets or proclamations but in minds and hearts…”(Bigelow, p. 133).
The main thrust of this effort should consists of ‘strong arts=strong schools’. “The arts humanize the curriculum, and also affirm the interconnectedness of all forms of knowing” (Fowler, p. 4). Creating a work of art involves making a personal connection with the work, and is a powerful act for the student and for the facilitator. Then, the feeling that the artwork creates makes up another layer of significance. We learn to respect the work of our students, as they respect the time that we take as educators to provide them with appropriate feedback. In this manner, students begin to cultivate a sense of place in the classroom, and hopefully a sense of self-worth and belonging, as well. Art teaches us that our human potential is boundless (Fowler, p. 8). What children learn early on impacts their future learning abilities, so it is especially important for their early years to be filled with joyful learning experiences. They need to develop the appropriate skills, attitudes and work habits from the start. Learning experiences build one after the next. For example, when the brain first registers something, the experience is filed. The second time, it is actually recognized as having meaning. This is why the arts can be viewed as a ‘cognitive restructuring’ experience. When one area of the brain develops it makes room for future overlaps (Caterall, p. 154). Caterall emphasizes in her article that cognitively speaking, all students will benefit from the inclusion of art in the curriculum, including those students who may have been underachieving before (p. 155). Studies also have shown that schools that have strong arts programs have more students who are excited and motivated to learn. These are the kids who are given the play time, as well.
Dramatic play in the classroom, as well as recess time is important to maintaining a robust student body. According to Piaget, ‘play is the serious business of childhood’ (Sylwester, p. 33). For example, when I first started teaching in the Florida public school systems this past fall, I took a creative approach to start with my students. My seventh and eighth grade gifted students were given at least a half an hour each day to write and ten minutes to share their responses. I found that after the first few weeks, the students became quite comfortable speaking in front of their peers. As the schedule was structured, my students had little time to play there were only five minutes between periods. Even their lunch hour was rushed and highly regulated, so as I became aware of this I decided to try an experiment with my eighth grade students. I had this group two periods in a row. One period was for Language Arts and the other was for silent sustained reading. What I did was allow the students to have a short recess between classes within my classroom. Eventually, the time became productive. One student, who was strong in theater performed monologues on several occasions. The time became a time for the students to get to know one another a bit. They were able to form a bond together as a group; not an easy feat with such a diverse group of students.
It is important for educators to realize that what is taught in their classrooms effects students learning in the future. The disciplines are not isolated. Both motion and emotion are essential to the arts and to life. Powell goes on to describe this concept as follows:
“Art soothes pain! Art wakes up sleepers! Art fights stupidity! Art sings hallelujah! Art is for kitchens! Art is like good bread! Art is like green trees! Art is like white clouds in blue sky! Art is not business! It does not belong to banks and investors. Art is food. You can’t eat it but it feeds you. Art has to be cheap and available to everybody. It needs to be everywhere because it is inside the world. Hurrah” (Powell, p. 6).
As art educators, it is always important for us to be aware of the ‘other point of view’, as well, the point of view that is either being silenced by the presentation or by the speaker. By this I mean, whose voice is being represented in the material being presented to the students. There are always blind spots in a traditional curriculum, certain voices that are being left out, and as educators, it is our responsibility to provide a wide variety of materials for our students to learn from. When the library finally opened at the school I worked at in Florida, it did a good job addressing this issue within the schools curriculum. Bilingual students had access to books written for kids making the transition into English speaking classrooms. The school provided the middle school students with literature by authors that the kids could relate to at a personal level, as well. The key was to create a classroom environment that allowed for plenty of reflection and critical thinking to take place. Activities outside the traditional classroom also provide avenues for students to explore learning that involves taking sensible risks. Community organizations emphasize the importance of keeping the youth motivated outside the classroom setting. Young learners are often involved in making important decisions for the organization, by both strategizing and organizing. These activities are a wonderful dress rehearsal for the adult every day life (Burton, p. 26). As Longley states:
“Tomorrow’s workforce-and, especially, its leaders-will need to broaden its abilities beyond technical skills. There will be a demand for people who are creative, analytical, disciplined, and self-confident-people sensitive to the world around them. Hands-on participation in the arts is a proven way to help children develop these abilities” (Longley, p. 71).
Teachers must be willing to open their hearts and minds in order to allow their natural intuitive abilities guide them in order to meet the needs of tomorrow’s students. Knowing when to switch gears for a particular student, or an entire class is a gift. Luckily, thanks to educators who have come before us, we have a firm foundation from which we may build from. From John Dewey, Paulo Freire, Carl Marx to Gandhi, all of these great leaders have provided us with ideas and ideals to follow. Dewey with his child-centered model, Freire with his powerful statement about paying full attention to students questions in order to ensure a humanistic approach in the classroom, Marx and his belief that education was being used as a vehicle for institutionalizing the elite values and indoctrinating people into ‘unconsciously maintaining those values’ (Wink, p. 95) and Gandhi’s belief that education should aim at ‘developing an individual’s body, mind and soul’ are all strong examples. For Gandhi, the body is important for earning a living, the mind important for bringing in creativity, and the soul is crucial for building character (Wink, p. 104).
Teachers today ought to be asking questions like ‘is there an inherent sense of beauty that can be found in the material being presented? How will this particular lesson affect my students’ daily lives? Are the bilingual students sitting in the classroom being
challenged and attended to? If so, how will teachers meet their needs? Students today come into our classrooms already weighed down by the outside world and its strange
materialistic focus. Many feel estranged from their own past histories, as well as from the history of this country. It is the teacher’s job to create an atmosphere in which students become empowered learners. It is important that teachers are aware of this divide, and strive to avoid preaching about the standards. Instead, teachers ought to be modeling a healthy check and balance system within their classrooms. Most importantly, the progressive teacher must be humble to allow for the students to gain a sense of ownership over the work that the students are to learn (Wink, p. 86). Teachers who allow for this kind of flow in their classrooms demonstrate by example a serious commitment to the quality and authenticity of the creative process. These teachers also know how to eliminate awkward power dynamics within their classrooms, simply by remaining receptive to learning new lessons each day. Art lessons that focus on student centered activities encourage such an environment. Students who understand their cultural history and the history of the world around them are better prepared to create powerful artwork and images depicting ‘where we might be headed’ (Noel, p. 6).
When teachers are successful, the classroom is able to break the mold of tradition and forge a path for change (Bigelow, p. 29). They encourage students to share their cultural capital, their home language and the traditions that have made them the people they are today. Such teachers and schools serve as models of a democratic system, and the students within them become familiar with the flexible readjustments that occur within a structured democracy by learning new ways of thinking about and adjusting to social change (Wink, p. 122). Creating a strong art emphasis in the classroom is critical; for creating such an atmosphere involves drawing from sources from deep within. Transformation occurs when the arts speaks to the heart.
“It’s like finding good water in an unused well.
First you have to remember the spot where the well
was located and then search beneath weeds and brambles….
Someone might have put a heavy, locked cover on it for
safety. You lug back the top and peer down into the dark hole,
just barely seeing water when your eyes get used to the light.
In the first tentative bucketful, the water is dirty, full of decaying
leaves. So you put the bucket down deeper and deeper to drink,
and pretty soon-
you are drawing up cool, clean water that you can drink. And then
you invite your friends to taste that sweet water.” (Powell, p. 2)
Annotated Bibliography
Armstrong, T. (2000). Multiple Intelligences in the classroom. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Virginia: Alexandria.
Armstrong describes each of the eight intelligences as identified by Gardner. His informal checklist identifies personal strengths in intelligences and practical ways to use them in the classroom. This book is a valuable tool for teachers at any level.
Berriz, B. (n.d.). Raising Children's Cultural Voices. In Rethinking Schools Online. Retrieved Summer, 2000,from http://www.rethinkingschools.org/special_reports/bilingual/bil144.shtml. Berta Berriz teaches third graders in the Boston Public Schools. In this article, she describes her experience teaching bilingual students and shares her teaching strategies with the reader. The article emphasizes the importance of developing literacy through journal writing, autobiographies and publishing projects. Second language students benefit from her sheltering approach and feel a sense of accomplishment when their work is published.
Bigelow, B., Harvey, B., Karp, S., & Miller, L. (Eds.). (2000). Teaching for Equity and Justice. Rethinking Our Classrooms, Two.
Rethinking Our Classrooms includes a wide variety of articles that promote teaching the values of community, justice and equality in the classroom. The journal is a valued source of critical teaching information that serves to connect educators to their high aspirations and their curriculum content. It includes over 75 articles and highlights creative lesson plans, poetry idea for the classroom and even articles, essays and handouts.
Brooks, J. G., & Thompson, E. G. (2005). Social Justice in the classroom. In Educational Leadership (52(3), 4-9). Retrieved April/May, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database. Social Justice in the Classroom is an article thats speaks about the 'cultural capital' that students bring to the classroom. By this the author means, the certain artistic preferences, languages and knowledge bases that students bring to the classroom. The emphasis is that given today's curriculum some students may not feel at liberty to express themselves freely in the classroom.
Burnaford, G., Aprill, A., & Weiss, C. (2001). Renaissance in the Classroom. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum and Associates.
Renaissance in the Classroom is a book meant for art educators and policy makers alike that makes a case for teaching art education in the classroom. Within its pages educators have access to a visionary guide to K-12 curriculum unit planning. The focus being that educators today have the power to go beyond the traditional, linear methods of instruction and make careful choices to create positive change in the classroom.
Burton, J., Horowiitz, R., & Ables, H. (1999). Champions of change: The impact of arts on learning Imaginative Actuality. In Learning in and through the arts:Curriculum implications (pp. 35-46). Retrieved June 17, 2007, from Google Champions of Change Click on (PDF) Champion Report database.
When young people organize together they have the potential to make projects stronger. In the article Imaginative Actuality, the abudance and intensity of such a practice is described in detail as the authors speak together about creative planning for today's youth. Strategy building is emphasized as a way to encourage youth development as creative collaboration with adults in the community.
Catterall, J. S. (2002). Critical Links. In Arts and the transfer of learning (p. 161-172). Retrieved April/May 12, 2007, from PDF Web site: http://aep-art.org/cllinkspage.htm.
Learning experiences build upon each other, and according to research gathered in The Arts and the Transfer of Learning the article emphasizes that learning in the arts facilitates such action. The article compares the ways in which children learn and provides figures that depict the correlation between the arts and academic and social outcomes. The article is useful because is shows how the building skills in the arts fosters student motivation.
Fowler, C. (1994). Strong Arts, Strong Schools. In Educational Leadership (57(2), 71-74). Retrieved May/June 12, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.
According to Fowler, in an ideal academic setting the arts take a place in the fore front of our school curriculum. The article states that the arts allow for a humanistic approach to education. On the other hand, schools who do not follow this model allow room for barbarism. This is mainly due to the fact that without the arts students aren't included in the emotional, intuitive and irrational aspects of learning that may not be easily explained by science alone.
Lake, R. (1990). An Indian Father's Plea. In Teacher Magazine. Retrieved May/June 15, 2007, from http://www.msublings.edu/shoobs/Wind_Wolf.htm.
Lake's article begins with a letter addressed to Wind-Wolf's teacher describing Wind-Wolf's educational setting. Wind-Wolf is an Indian boy who begins school in an integrated classroom. Wind-Wolf's father makes the point to the teacher that just because Wind-Wolf needs more time to process emotional material doesn't mean that he is a slow learner. He is an example of a student who brings a great deal of 'cultural capital' to the classroom that ought to be acknowledged. Longley, L. (1999).
Gaining the arts literacy advantage. In Educational Leadership (57(2), 71-74). Retrieved April/May 12, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.
It is quintessential that we continue to build our literacy programs in our public school systems and arts education strongly supports this venture. Longley builds a case for literacy reform in this article and introduces national studies that support her findings. The article encourages school districts question whether they have teachers, principals and with proper training.
McIntosh, P. (1990). White Privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack. In Independent School (49(2)). Retrieved May/June 12, 2007, from Academic Search Premiere database.
McIntosh states that the feeling of power and belonging within a community should not 'belong to a privelaged few'. The hierarchies that exist within society and acts of racism that occur are not always merely individualistic attacks. The point the author makes is that being white puts her at an advantage; but she is still beneath the working class of men. Status in society is a responsibility and it is not to be taken for granted.
Noel, J. (2003). Creating artwork in response to issues of social justice: A critical multicultural pedagogy. In Multicultural Education (10(4), 15-18). Retrieved May/June 12, 2007, from Pro Quest Database.
Noel describes the arts based approach to multicultural education in her article Creating artwork in response to issues of social justice: A critical multicultural pedagogy. In her cohort group, as she studies for her Masters they discuss social justice issues: the history of oppression, cultural and socio-economic. The class learns about racism and prejudice and expresses their reactions and reflections to these topics through artwork that produces 'social transformation' within the group for participants.
Powell, M. (1997). The Arts and the Inner Lives of Teachers. In Phi Delta Kappan (78(6) 450-453). Retrieved April/May 12, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.
Lesley University's Creative Art's and Learning Masters degree recognizes and encourages teacher creativity within the classroom. The article describes the program and its main component inspiring teachers in the areas of poetry, visual arts, music, dance, drama and storytelling as they learn to include these strategies in their curriculum. Teaching is about opening this invitation, teachers learn to let their students know that the arts belong to all students.
Silver, H. F., Strong, R. W., & Perini, M. J. (2000). So Each May Learn:Integrating Multiple Intelligences. Alexandria, V.A.: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Looking for hands on organizers to help you teach while utilizing Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligence theory, look no further. This book is a useful tool as it addresses one of our greatest challenges to date: learning how to encourage diversity in our classrooms, while we promote a challenging curriculum for all students. This book includes instructional models, actual curriculum and assessment stategies to model.
Style, E. (1996). Curriculum as window and mirror. In SEED. Retrieved June 16, 2005, from http://www.wcwonline.org/seed/curriculum.html.
This article highlights the importance of understanding another person's frame of reference when entering into an educational dialogue. This method ensures that the outsider, the individual who may be needing clarificaton as to whose voice is being represented via the curriculum being presented is heard. The subordinate voice needs to be heard and this article explains how subtle changes in perspective when presenting curriculum can make a big difference.
Sylwester, R. (1998). Art for the brain's sake. In Educational Leadership. Retrieved April/May 12, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.
Artistic activity encourages soul development, as Sywester aptly points out in his article Art for the Brain's Sake. This article delves into ideas surrounding self-concept, as well as serotonin fluctuations in children. A correlation has been found between children who are able to develop fine motor skills early on and who benefit from good art programs; they tend to develop higher serotonin levels. Therefore, educators must note that motion and emotion develop together and should be nurtured in the classroom setting.
Wink, J. (2000). Critical Pedagogy: Notes from the Real World. Stanislaus, CA: Addison Welsey Longman.
Pedagogy opens up a door to a more in depth understanding of teaching and teaching terminology for effective use in the classroom and the community at large. The personal narrative voice of the author invites the reader in to truly take in the experience as educator faces today's challenges and includes voices of past educators, as well as our present day teachers.
Bibliography
Armstrong, T. (2000). Multiple Intelligences in the classroom. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Virginia: Alexandria.
Berriz, B. (n.d.). Raising Children's Cultural Voices. In Rethinking Schools Online. Retrieved Summer, 2000, from http://www.rethinkingschools.org/special_reports/bilingual/bil144.shtml.
Bigelow, B., Harvey, B., Karp, S., & Miller, L. (Eds.). (2000). Teaching for Equity and Justice. Rethinking Our Classrooms, Two. Brooks, J. G., & Thompson, E. G. (2005). Social Justice in the classroom. In Educational Leadership (52(3), 4-9). Retrieved April/May, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.
Burnaford, G., Aprill, A., & Weiss, C. (2001). Renaissance in the Classroom. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum and Associates. Burton, J., Horowiitz, R., & Ables, H. (1999).
Champions of change: The impact of arts on learning Imaginative Actuality. In Learning in and through the arts:Curriculum implications (pp. 35-46). Retrieved June 17, 2007, from Google Champions of Change Click on (PDF) Champion Report database.
Catterall, J. S. (2002). Critical Links. In Arts and the transfer of learning (p. 161-172). Retrieved April/May 12, 2007, from PDF Web site: http://aep-art.org/cllinkspage.htm. .
Fowler, C. (1994). Strong Arts, Strong Schools. In Educational Leadership (57(2), 71-74). Retrieved May/June 12, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.
Lake, R. (1990). An Indian Father's Plea. In Teacher Magazine. Retrieved May/June 15, 2007, from http://www.msublings.edu/shoobs/Wind_Wolf.htm. Longley, L. (1999).
Gaining the arts literacy advantage. In Educational Leadership (57(2), 71-74). Retrieved April/May 12, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.
McIntosh, P. (1990). White Privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack. In Independent School (49(2)). Retrieved May/June 12, 2007, from Academic Search Premiere database.
Noel, J. (2003). Creating artwork in response to issues of social justice: A critical multicultural pedagogy. In Multicultural Education (10(4), 15-18). Retrieved May/June 12, 2007, from Pro Quest Database. Powell, M. (1997). The Arts and the Inner Lives of Teachers. In Phi Delta Kappan (78(6) 450-453). Retrieved April/May 12, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.
Silver, H. F., Strong, R. W., & Perini, M. J. (2000). So Each May Learn: Integrating Multiple Intelligences. Alexandria, V.A.: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Style, E. (1996). Curriculum as window and mirror. In SEED. Retrieved June 16, 2005, from http://www.wcwonline.org/seed/curriculum.html.
Sylwester, R. (1998). Art for the brain's sake. In Educational Leadership. Retrieved April/May 12, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database. Wink, J. (2000). Critical Pedagogy: Notes from the Real World. Stanislaus, CA: Addison Welsey Longman.
This all sounds very utopian; however, today’s public school systems offer quite a different scenario for their students. No Child Left Behind mandates standardized testing and teachers in many cases are caught teaching to these tests to maintain high test scores, rather than developing their own in depth curriculum for their students, or utilizing Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligence theory to facilitate higher learning. Classrooms on the whole do not value cultural capital, so individuals who come from diverse backgrounds may feel as though they do not have an acceptable way to express themselves at school. In a democratic school, students need time to name their subject matter, to reflect thoughtfully about what they learn about a subject, and most importantly, need more time to critically act based on this new knowledge (Wink, 123)
In schools today, a certain tension exists between this sense of creating a community of learners and creating a sense of individuality within the structure of a school day. How is it possible to find the time to allow student’s thoughts to roam free when standardized testing takes up so much class time? In some cases this testing is becoming the basis for classroom learning. The trick is for educators today to rise up and challenge the system by creating a place for art within their curriculum. These courageous teachers are the ones who will gain the most access to the creative minds of their students. These are the teachers who open minded and often refer to Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligence theory for guidance as they develop their lesson plans. Gardner understood that intelligence is more than ‘the capacity to acquire new knowledge’. He defines it as “the ability to solve problems that one encounters in real life and the ability to make something or offer a service that is valued within one’s culture” (Silver, Strong + Perini, p.7). These teachers aren’t afraid to experiment with lessons plans that are developed to teach utilizing the eight different intelligences: linguistic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalist, musical, logical, visual/spatial and body kinesthetic in their classrooms. They represent role models for educators in the future. After all, what is truly worth knowing is the information that each student is able to take away from a class and apply later on in his or her own life. What better way to convey information than to teach children early on how to identify with and learn, utilizing all eight intelligences? This type of education is described as being:
“the medicine which takes hold. It is the whole set of changes produced in a person by learning. The difference between an educated person and an uneducated one is he knows how little knowledge is connected to every other piece. The world needs freedom, and the only way we can get it is through education. The ideas of the spirit of humanism are carried not in pamphlets or proclamations but in minds and hearts…”(Bigelow, p. 133).
The main thrust of this effort should consists of ‘strong arts=strong schools’. “The arts humanize the curriculum, and also affirm the interconnectedness of all forms of knowing” (Fowler, p. 4). Creating a work of art involves making a personal connection with the work, and is a powerful act for the student and for the facilitator. Then, the feeling that the artwork creates makes up another layer of significance. We learn to respect the work of our students, as they respect the time that we take as educators to provide them with appropriate feedback. In this manner, students begin to cultivate a sense of place in the classroom, and hopefully a sense of self-worth and belonging, as well. Art teaches us that our human potential is boundless (Fowler, p. 8). What children learn early on impacts their future learning abilities, so it is especially important for their early years to be filled with joyful learning experiences. They need to develop the appropriate skills, attitudes and work habits from the start. Learning experiences build one after the next. For example, when the brain first registers something, the experience is filed. The second time, it is actually recognized as having meaning. This is why the arts can be viewed as a ‘cognitive restructuring’ experience. When one area of the brain develops it makes room for future overlaps (Caterall, p. 154). Caterall emphasizes in her article that cognitively speaking, all students will benefit from the inclusion of art in the curriculum, including those students who may have been underachieving before (p. 155). Studies also have shown that schools that have strong arts programs have more students who are excited and motivated to learn. These are the kids who are given the play time, as well.
Dramatic play in the classroom, as well as recess time is important to maintaining a robust student body. According to Piaget, ‘play is the serious business of childhood’ (Sylwester, p. 33). For example, when I first started teaching in the Florida public school systems this past fall, I took a creative approach to start with my students. My seventh and eighth grade gifted students were given at least a half an hour each day to write and ten minutes to share their responses. I found that after the first few weeks, the students became quite comfortable speaking in front of their peers. As the schedule was structured, my students had little time to play there were only five minutes between periods. Even their lunch hour was rushed and highly regulated, so as I became aware of this I decided to try an experiment with my eighth grade students. I had this group two periods in a row. One period was for Language Arts and the other was for silent sustained reading. What I did was allow the students to have a short recess between classes within my classroom. Eventually, the time became productive. One student, who was strong in theater performed monologues on several occasions. The time became a time for the students to get to know one another a bit. They were able to form a bond together as a group; not an easy feat with such a diverse group of students.
It is important for educators to realize that what is taught in their classrooms effects students learning in the future. The disciplines are not isolated. Both motion and emotion are essential to the arts and to life. Powell goes on to describe this concept as follows:
“Art soothes pain! Art wakes up sleepers! Art fights stupidity! Art sings hallelujah! Art is for kitchens! Art is like good bread! Art is like green trees! Art is like white clouds in blue sky! Art is not business! It does not belong to banks and investors. Art is food. You can’t eat it but it feeds you. Art has to be cheap and available to everybody. It needs to be everywhere because it is inside the world. Hurrah” (Powell, p. 6).
As art educators, it is always important for us to be aware of the ‘other point of view’, as well, the point of view that is either being silenced by the presentation or by the speaker. By this I mean, whose voice is being represented in the material being presented to the students. There are always blind spots in a traditional curriculum, certain voices that are being left out, and as educators, it is our responsibility to provide a wide variety of materials for our students to learn from. When the library finally opened at the school I worked at in Florida, it did a good job addressing this issue within the schools curriculum. Bilingual students had access to books written for kids making the transition into English speaking classrooms. The school provided the middle school students with literature by authors that the kids could relate to at a personal level, as well. The key was to create a classroom environment that allowed for plenty of reflection and critical thinking to take place. Activities outside the traditional classroom also provide avenues for students to explore learning that involves taking sensible risks. Community organizations emphasize the importance of keeping the youth motivated outside the classroom setting. Young learners are often involved in making important decisions for the organization, by both strategizing and organizing. These activities are a wonderful dress rehearsal for the adult every day life (Burton, p. 26). As Longley states:
“Tomorrow’s workforce-and, especially, its leaders-will need to broaden its abilities beyond technical skills. There will be a demand for people who are creative, analytical, disciplined, and self-confident-people sensitive to the world around them. Hands-on participation in the arts is a proven way to help children develop these abilities” (Longley, p. 71).
Teachers must be willing to open their hearts and minds in order to allow their natural intuitive abilities guide them in order to meet the needs of tomorrow’s students. Knowing when to switch gears for a particular student, or an entire class is a gift. Luckily, thanks to educators who have come before us, we have a firm foundation from which we may build from. From John Dewey, Paulo Freire, Carl Marx to Gandhi, all of these great leaders have provided us with ideas and ideals to follow. Dewey with his child-centered model, Freire with his powerful statement about paying full attention to students questions in order to ensure a humanistic approach in the classroom, Marx and his belief that education was being used as a vehicle for institutionalizing the elite values and indoctrinating people into ‘unconsciously maintaining those values’ (Wink, p. 95) and Gandhi’s belief that education should aim at ‘developing an individual’s body, mind and soul’ are all strong examples. For Gandhi, the body is important for earning a living, the mind important for bringing in creativity, and the soul is crucial for building character (Wink, p. 104).
Teachers today ought to be asking questions like ‘is there an inherent sense of beauty that can be found in the material being presented? How will this particular lesson affect my students’ daily lives? Are the bilingual students sitting in the classroom being
challenged and attended to? If so, how will teachers meet their needs? Students today come into our classrooms already weighed down by the outside world and its strange
materialistic focus. Many feel estranged from their own past histories, as well as from the history of this country. It is the teacher’s job to create an atmosphere in which students become empowered learners. It is important that teachers are aware of this divide, and strive to avoid preaching about the standards. Instead, teachers ought to be modeling a healthy check and balance system within their classrooms. Most importantly, the progressive teacher must be humble to allow for the students to gain a sense of ownership over the work that the students are to learn (Wink, p. 86). Teachers who allow for this kind of flow in their classrooms demonstrate by example a serious commitment to the quality and authenticity of the creative process. These teachers also know how to eliminate awkward power dynamics within their classrooms, simply by remaining receptive to learning new lessons each day. Art lessons that focus on student centered activities encourage such an environment. Students who understand their cultural history and the history of the world around them are better prepared to create powerful artwork and images depicting ‘where we might be headed’ (Noel, p. 6).
When teachers are successful, the classroom is able to break the mold of tradition and forge a path for change (Bigelow, p. 29). They encourage students to share their cultural capital, their home language and the traditions that have made them the people they are today. Such teachers and schools serve as models of a democratic system, and the students within them become familiar with the flexible readjustments that occur within a structured democracy by learning new ways of thinking about and adjusting to social change (Wink, p. 122). Creating a strong art emphasis in the classroom is critical; for creating such an atmosphere involves drawing from sources from deep within. Transformation occurs when the arts speaks to the heart.
“It’s like finding good water in an unused well.
First you have to remember the spot where the well
was located and then search beneath weeds and brambles….
Someone might have put a heavy, locked cover on it for
safety. You lug back the top and peer down into the dark hole,
just barely seeing water when your eyes get used to the light.
In the first tentative bucketful, the water is dirty, full of decaying
leaves. So you put the bucket down deeper and deeper to drink,
and pretty soon-
you are drawing up cool, clean water that you can drink. And then
you invite your friends to taste that sweet water.” (Powell, p. 2)
Annotated Bibliography
Armstrong, T. (2000). Multiple Intelligences in the classroom. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Virginia: Alexandria.
Armstrong describes each of the eight intelligences as identified by Gardner. His informal checklist identifies personal strengths in intelligences and practical ways to use them in the classroom. This book is a valuable tool for teachers at any level.
Berriz, B. (n.d.). Raising Children's Cultural Voices. In Rethinking Schools Online. Retrieved Summer, 2000,from http://www.rethinkingschools.org/special_reports/bilingual/bil144.shtml. Berta Berriz teaches third graders in the Boston Public Schools. In this article, she describes her experience teaching bilingual students and shares her teaching strategies with the reader. The article emphasizes the importance of developing literacy through journal writing, autobiographies and publishing projects. Second language students benefit from her sheltering approach and feel a sense of accomplishment when their work is published.
Bigelow, B., Harvey, B., Karp, S., & Miller, L. (Eds.). (2000). Teaching for Equity and Justice. Rethinking Our Classrooms, Two.
Rethinking Our Classrooms includes a wide variety of articles that promote teaching the values of community, justice and equality in the classroom. The journal is a valued source of critical teaching information that serves to connect educators to their high aspirations and their curriculum content. It includes over 75 articles and highlights creative lesson plans, poetry idea for the classroom and even articles, essays and handouts.
Brooks, J. G., & Thompson, E. G. (2005). Social Justice in the classroom. In Educational Leadership (52(3), 4-9). Retrieved April/May, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database. Social Justice in the Classroom is an article thats speaks about the 'cultural capital' that students bring to the classroom. By this the author means, the certain artistic preferences, languages and knowledge bases that students bring to the classroom. The emphasis is that given today's curriculum some students may not feel at liberty to express themselves freely in the classroom.
Burnaford, G., Aprill, A., & Weiss, C. (2001). Renaissance in the Classroom. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum and Associates.
Renaissance in the Classroom is a book meant for art educators and policy makers alike that makes a case for teaching art education in the classroom. Within its pages educators have access to a visionary guide to K-12 curriculum unit planning. The focus being that educators today have the power to go beyond the traditional, linear methods of instruction and make careful choices to create positive change in the classroom.
Burton, J., Horowiitz, R., & Ables, H. (1999). Champions of change: The impact of arts on learning Imaginative Actuality. In Learning in and through the arts:Curriculum implications (pp. 35-46). Retrieved June 17, 2007, from Google Champions of Change Click on (PDF) Champion Report database.
When young people organize together they have the potential to make projects stronger. In the article Imaginative Actuality, the abudance and intensity of such a practice is described in detail as the authors speak together about creative planning for today's youth. Strategy building is emphasized as a way to encourage youth development as creative collaboration with adults in the community.
Catterall, J. S. (2002). Critical Links. In Arts and the transfer of learning (p. 161-172). Retrieved April/May 12, 2007, from PDF Web site: http://aep-art.org/cllinkspage.htm.
Learning experiences build upon each other, and according to research gathered in The Arts and the Transfer of Learning the article emphasizes that learning in the arts facilitates such action. The article compares the ways in which children learn and provides figures that depict the correlation between the arts and academic and social outcomes. The article is useful because is shows how the building skills in the arts fosters student motivation.
Fowler, C. (1994). Strong Arts, Strong Schools. In Educational Leadership (57(2), 71-74). Retrieved May/June 12, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.
According to Fowler, in an ideal academic setting the arts take a place in the fore front of our school curriculum. The article states that the arts allow for a humanistic approach to education. On the other hand, schools who do not follow this model allow room for barbarism. This is mainly due to the fact that without the arts students aren't included in the emotional, intuitive and irrational aspects of learning that may not be easily explained by science alone.
Lake, R. (1990). An Indian Father's Plea. In Teacher Magazine. Retrieved May/June 15, 2007, from http://www.msublings.edu/shoobs/Wind_Wolf.htm.
Lake's article begins with a letter addressed to Wind-Wolf's teacher describing Wind-Wolf's educational setting. Wind-Wolf is an Indian boy who begins school in an integrated classroom. Wind-Wolf's father makes the point to the teacher that just because Wind-Wolf needs more time to process emotional material doesn't mean that he is a slow learner. He is an example of a student who brings a great deal of 'cultural capital' to the classroom that ought to be acknowledged. Longley, L. (1999).
Gaining the arts literacy advantage. In Educational Leadership (57(2), 71-74). Retrieved April/May 12, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.
It is quintessential that we continue to build our literacy programs in our public school systems and arts education strongly supports this venture. Longley builds a case for literacy reform in this article and introduces national studies that support her findings. The article encourages school districts question whether they have teachers, principals and with proper training.
McIntosh, P. (1990). White Privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack. In Independent School (49(2)). Retrieved May/June 12, 2007, from Academic Search Premiere database.
McIntosh states that the feeling of power and belonging within a community should not 'belong to a privelaged few'. The hierarchies that exist within society and acts of racism that occur are not always merely individualistic attacks. The point the author makes is that being white puts her at an advantage; but she is still beneath the working class of men. Status in society is a responsibility and it is not to be taken for granted.
Noel, J. (2003). Creating artwork in response to issues of social justice: A critical multicultural pedagogy. In Multicultural Education (10(4), 15-18). Retrieved May/June 12, 2007, from Pro Quest Database.
Noel describes the arts based approach to multicultural education in her article Creating artwork in response to issues of social justice: A critical multicultural pedagogy. In her cohort group, as she studies for her Masters they discuss social justice issues: the history of oppression, cultural and socio-economic. The class learns about racism and prejudice and expresses their reactions and reflections to these topics through artwork that produces 'social transformation' within the group for participants.
Powell, M. (1997). The Arts and the Inner Lives of Teachers. In Phi Delta Kappan (78(6) 450-453). Retrieved April/May 12, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.
Lesley University's Creative Art's and Learning Masters degree recognizes and encourages teacher creativity within the classroom. The article describes the program and its main component inspiring teachers in the areas of poetry, visual arts, music, dance, drama and storytelling as they learn to include these strategies in their curriculum. Teaching is about opening this invitation, teachers learn to let their students know that the arts belong to all students.
Silver, H. F., Strong, R. W., & Perini, M. J. (2000). So Each May Learn:Integrating Multiple Intelligences. Alexandria, V.A.: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Looking for hands on organizers to help you teach while utilizing Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligence theory, look no further. This book is a useful tool as it addresses one of our greatest challenges to date: learning how to encourage diversity in our classrooms, while we promote a challenging curriculum for all students. This book includes instructional models, actual curriculum and assessment stategies to model.
Style, E. (1996). Curriculum as window and mirror. In SEED. Retrieved June 16, 2005, from http://www.wcwonline.org/seed/curriculum.html.
This article highlights the importance of understanding another person's frame of reference when entering into an educational dialogue. This method ensures that the outsider, the individual who may be needing clarificaton as to whose voice is being represented via the curriculum being presented is heard. The subordinate voice needs to be heard and this article explains how subtle changes in perspective when presenting curriculum can make a big difference.
Sylwester, R. (1998). Art for the brain's sake. In Educational Leadership. Retrieved April/May 12, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.
Artistic activity encourages soul development, as Sywester aptly points out in his article Art for the Brain's Sake. This article delves into ideas surrounding self-concept, as well as serotonin fluctuations in children. A correlation has been found between children who are able to develop fine motor skills early on and who benefit from good art programs; they tend to develop higher serotonin levels. Therefore, educators must note that motion and emotion develop together and should be nurtured in the classroom setting.
Wink, J. (2000). Critical Pedagogy: Notes from the Real World. Stanislaus, CA: Addison Welsey Longman.
Pedagogy opens up a door to a more in depth understanding of teaching and teaching terminology for effective use in the classroom and the community at large. The personal narrative voice of the author invites the reader in to truly take in the experience as educator faces today's challenges and includes voices of past educators, as well as our present day teachers.
Bibliography
Armstrong, T. (2000). Multiple Intelligences in the classroom. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Virginia: Alexandria.
Berriz, B. (n.d.). Raising Children's Cultural Voices. In Rethinking Schools Online. Retrieved Summer, 2000, from http://www.rethinkingschools.org/special_reports/bilingual/bil144.shtml.
Bigelow, B., Harvey, B., Karp, S., & Miller, L. (Eds.). (2000). Teaching for Equity and Justice. Rethinking Our Classrooms, Two. Brooks, J. G., & Thompson, E. G. (2005). Social Justice in the classroom. In Educational Leadership (52(3), 4-9). Retrieved April/May, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.
Burnaford, G., Aprill, A., & Weiss, C. (2001). Renaissance in the Classroom. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum and Associates. Burton, J., Horowiitz, R., & Ables, H. (1999).
Champions of change: The impact of arts on learning Imaginative Actuality. In Learning in and through the arts:Curriculum implications (pp. 35-46). Retrieved June 17, 2007, from Google Champions of Change Click on (PDF) Champion Report database.
Catterall, J. S. (2002). Critical Links. In Arts and the transfer of learning (p. 161-172). Retrieved April/May 12, 2007, from PDF Web site: http://aep-art.org/cllinkspage.htm. .
Fowler, C. (1994). Strong Arts, Strong Schools. In Educational Leadership (57(2), 71-74). Retrieved May/June 12, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.
Lake, R. (1990). An Indian Father's Plea. In Teacher Magazine. Retrieved May/June 15, 2007, from http://www.msublings.edu/shoobs/Wind_Wolf.htm. Longley, L. (1999).
Gaining the arts literacy advantage. In Educational Leadership (57(2), 71-74). Retrieved April/May 12, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.
McIntosh, P. (1990). White Privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack. In Independent School (49(2)). Retrieved May/June 12, 2007, from Academic Search Premiere database.
Noel, J. (2003). Creating artwork in response to issues of social justice: A critical multicultural pedagogy. In Multicultural Education (10(4), 15-18). Retrieved May/June 12, 2007, from Pro Quest Database. Powell, M. (1997). The Arts and the Inner Lives of Teachers. In Phi Delta Kappan (78(6) 450-453). Retrieved April/May 12, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.
Silver, H. F., Strong, R. W., & Perini, M. J. (2000). So Each May Learn: Integrating Multiple Intelligences. Alexandria, V.A.: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Style, E. (1996). Curriculum as window and mirror. In SEED. Retrieved June 16, 2005, from http://www.wcwonline.org/seed/curriculum.html.
Sylwester, R. (1998). Art for the brain's sake. In Educational Leadership. Retrieved April/May 12, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database. Wink, J. (2000). Critical Pedagogy: Notes from the Real World. Stanislaus, CA: Addison Welsey Longman.
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